Tag Archives: Europe

After 9 months of hiatus, I will start posting again on this blog. Under a slightly different format. I will be a Rambling Traveller, sharing what has happened the last few months and current thoughts. A monologue of sorts.

Part Thoughts. Part Journal entry. Part Discoveries. Part Musings. Part Travel stuff. All about living life through conscious Experiences with awareness. Continue reading →

With this week’s photo challenge, it is emphasizing and reminding me how much I enjoy hiking to the top of a mountain or a higher elevation. I do get affected by altitude sickness though, as realized on the Inca Trail. With this effort though, I have gained experiences along the way and am allowed to enjoy the view from a different perspective.

Single Woman Travels! (SWT) is a place to inspire and motivate women (and men) around the world to travel. She did What?! is a monthly series of Q&A – asking women around the world to share their past travel experience. From this, I hope a few more women who are on the brink of expanding their world will be inspired and motivated to turn their dreams into reality.

SWT: What type of accommodations? (family owned, B&B, tents, if a hotel, how many stars)

DC: Combo of backpack/hostel, staying with friends and 3 star hotels.

SWT: How long was your trip?

DC: 3 weeks

SWT: Who looked after the logistics?

DC: I did logistics when alone, friends handled some when staying in their cities.

SWT: If you planned and/or booked the itinerary, did you enjoy the process?

DC: Yes… fun and all part of the adventure, journey, experience… though it did take time.

SWT: If you worked with a travel agent, how was the experience?

DC: N/A

SWT: Would you / have you booked subsequent trips yourself?

DC: Yes

SWT: What would you do different – in hindsight?

DC: I wanted to make sure I got the “most” out of my trip and made up an itinerary that covered all the major sites, museums and galleries = tourist fatigue. In hindsight, I would’ve left more times open and fluid for spontaneous detours, surprises and discovery.

SWT: Did you feel comfortable traveling solo?

DC: Yes… though homesickness did start to set in after the 2 week mark.

SWT: How much research did you do in advance?

DC: The Lonely Planet guidebook was my bible—I poured over it, dog-earred and highlighted it for nearly 2 months. They didn’t have the interwebs back then…

SWT: What was the biggest surprise on the trip?

DC: How easy it was to travel on my own, that people tend to be helpful, and that I over-prepared. I realized afterward that I would’ve been fine with less prep, and even potentially could have had more spontaneous fun, had I not planned quite so much. That said, all that prep as a first time, single woman traveling did give me a lot of peace of mind.

SWT: What did you learn about yourself during the trip that you weren’t totally aware of beforehand?

DC: My own level of initiative and courage.

SWT: Was there any close calls or run-ins?

DC: Missed the last train to a relative’s house in the suburbs of Paris because I was out just a little too late. Had the giant Metro gate close right in front of me while I was changing trains somewhere in the outskirts. Had to take an expensive and dodgy cab ride the rest of the way.